Valentine’s Day 2022 in Abu Dhabi: the best dining deals on offer

With February 14 just around the corner, the countdown is on for Valentine's Day. If you want to make it an evening to remember with your special someone, a number of restaurants in Abu Dhabi have meals and deals to fall in love with. Here are some of the best options. Known for its dim lighting and intimate ambience, the open-air restaurant in The Abu Dhabi Edition is a good choice for a romantic meal. For Valentine's Day, the team have put together a sharing-style menu, with dishes such as veal tartare, pan-roasted duck breast and chocolate lava cake. Beverage pairings are available. Sunday and Monday; February 13 and 14; 6pm-11pm; Dh500 per couple for a three-course menu with a welcome drink; The Abu Dhabi Edition; www.editionhotels.com It’s all about amore at the Italian restaurant, which is offering a three-course meal with a drink for the occasion. Dine in a romantic setting under the stars as you enjoy traditional Tuscan flavours. Monday, February 14; 6pm-10.30pm; Dh265 per person; W Abu Dhabi – Yas Island; 02 656 0600 The rooftop venue at Louvre Abu Dhabi may be just the place to let sparks fly. A Saint Valentine menu has been planned with some delicious seafood-inspired bites such as crab volcano rolls, grilled Omani prawns, mussels and salmon teriyaki, finished off with the Cupid dessert featuring vanilla mousse, strawberry jam and shortbread crisp. The package includes a bottle and live entertainment courtesy of a DJ, as you take in the water views. Monday, February 14; 6pm-1am; Dh600 per couple; Louvre Abu Dhabi; 050 699 6375, 02 205 4225 The newly opened restaurant and beach club is offering a five-course set menu. Begin with charbroiled oysters with mornay sauce, Parmigiano and edible flowers; strawberry gazpacho with cucumber jelly and Parmesan frico; and seared scallops with beetroot emulsion and butter cauliflower. For mains, chose from a sous vide lobster medallion and 18-hour slow-roasted beef short ribs. Wrapping up the meal is a raspberry cheesecake, served with caramel ice cream, chocolate soil and dark chocolate sauce. A vegetarian menu is available on request. Couples can also enjoy themed beverages, while a DJ sets the mood. Monday, February 14; 7pm-10pm; Dh999 per couple; Yas Bay; 050 402 2283, www.cafedelmarabudhabi.com The Abu Dhabi outpost of the famed Washington restaurant has a five-course menu for Dh590, inclusive of a welcome drink. From appetisers of fried tempura oyster and pan-roasted scallops with crispy artichoke to dishes such as beetroot ravioli with lobster and a pan-roasted lamb saddle with herb crust and pumpkin puree, there’s certainly a lot to love. The meal ends on a sweet note with a chocolate heart filled with lime-rose lychee mousse. Those not willing to commit to the whole menu can also select individual dishes. Monday, February 14; Dh1,180 per couple; Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi At Al Maryah Island; cafemilano.ae The Peruvian restaurant has put together a set menu starting with a welcome drink and signature platter of ceviches and tiraditos. Couples can then indulge in mains such as grilled salmon with miso and grilled tiger prawns. There are even vegan options such as the Peruvian potato and mushroom and coal baked sweet potato. Especial de San Valentin, a romantic dessert comprising red berries, chocolate truffles and candied sugar, brings the gastronomic journey to a close. Coya has also crafted a special beverage for the evening. Monday, February 14; 7.30pm onwards; Dh490 per person; Al Maryah Island; 02 306 7000 The poolside venue is celebrating Valentine’s Day all month. Every Saturday, it will host a Grand Amour brunch with dishes such as Boston lobster, divers’ scallops and Wagyu beef cheek with truffle potato. On Saturday, February 12, guests opting for the brunch package can expect a welcome rose and live music to set the mood, while dinner on February 14 will also have live entertainment alongside a three-course al fresco meal serving Mediterranean cuisine. Throughout February; timings vary; from Dh255 per person for brunch, from Dh390 per couple for dinner; Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche; 02 813 7777 For a romantic French meal, head to Fouquet’s, known for its cosy interiors, panoramic terrace views. The in-house restaurant of Louvre Abu Dhabi is offering a four-course Valentine’s Day menu with dishes such as seafood tartare and potato gnocchi with black truffle, followed by mains including a grand fricassee of lobster with ginger and dodo sauce, all brought to a close with a decadent lover’s cake. Monday, February 14; 6pm onwards; Dh450 per person; Saadiyat Island; 02 205 4200 If your plan for Valentine's Day is to go big or go home, eat your heart out at Garage’s Valentine’s Day brunch. Five cuisines spread over a Nikkei house, steam table, mezze bar, meat vault and tap wall will keep you more than satisfied, even as a DJ sets the mood. Saturday, February 5, 12 and 19; 1pm-4pm; prices start at Dh279 per person; www.garageabudhabi.com The popular Cantonese restaurant will serve a three-course menu comprising many of its signature dishes on February 14. Begin your meal with Hakkasan's famed dim sum platter and crispy duck salad, followed by grilled local red snapper in spicy sauce, stock-braised lobster, jasmine-tea-smoked chicken and sauteed mushroom with rainbow cauliflower. Dessert is a lychee and raspberry semifreddo, and the meal will be complemented by a specially crafted welcome beverage. Monday, February 14; 6pm-11.30pm; Dh976 per couple; Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi; 02 690 7739 If your valentine is a fan of Asian food, reserve a spot at Li Jiang, which will serve a five-course set menu (with specialities such as lobster and caviar) and offers incredible views of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Monday, February 14; 5pm-11pm; Dh550 per couple; The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal; 02 818 8203 Love birds who enjoy Lebanese flavours can partake in a sharing-style menu that offers dishes such as truffle labneh, shrimp kunafa and a spread of seafood and prime meat cuts, to be enjoyed within the cosy indoor seating or terrace area of Mijana. Monday, February 14; 6pm-11pm; Dh400; The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal; 02 818 8203 If you want to go all out – or even pop the question – an idyllic beach set-up might be the way to go. Nahaam at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers has a four-course menu featuring everything from poached Maine lobster to slow-cooked smoked beef short ribs. You can even add a boat trip to the experience. Monday, February 14; from 6pm; Dh3,000 per couple with a bottle, Dh4500 per couple with a boat experience; Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers; 02 811 5555 Dinner on Valentine's Day begins with a complimentary red rose and a welcome drink. After that, couples can tuck into dishes such as sourdough with Marmite butter, caviar and passion fruit creme fraiche, a seafood tasting plate with lobster, scallops and oysters, followed by a choice of main course. A chocolate raspberry tarte will wrap up the meal and beverage pairings will also be available. Monday, February 14; 6pm-11pm; Dh650 per couple; The Abu Dhabi Edition; www.editionhotels.com If food is your main focus, then Paradiso, which is the brainchild of culinary geniuses Nicole Rubi and Pierre Gagnaire, is sure to impress. The restaurant has a minimum spend of Dh500 per couple on Valentine's Day, and offers an impressive a la carte menu (we recommend sampling Rubi's famous escargots, cauliflower bavardoise and the lamb shoulder preserved with spices), as well as a live band. Monday, February 14; minimum spend of Dh250 per person; Yas Bay Waterfront; 050 437 2869; www.paradisoabudhabi.com The fine-dining Indian fusion restaurant is offering a five-course menu for Valentine's Day. Start with roast pumpkin soup or crabmeat dumpling soup, before tucking into chilli cheese kulcha or chicken and cheese kulcha. Mains include avocado kofta with saffron and rose korma, tandoori salmon or pulled lamb. For dessert, there’s chocolate cake or strawberries and cream. There are vegetarian alternatives for every course. Friday to Monday, February 11 to 14; for lunch and dinner; Dh475 per couple; Venetian Village, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal; 050 194 1107 The Directors' Club restaurant has put together a romantic set menu including grills and sharing desserts. And since it's within the world’s first Warner Bros hotel, you can also expect some Warner Bros characters to make an appearance and up the fun factor. Friday to Monday, February 11 to 14; 7pm-10pm; Dh700 per couple; The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton; Yas Bay, Yas Island; 02 815 0000, dine.thewbabudhabi@hilton.com Abu Dhabi's newly-opened aquarium will give couples the chance to have an immersive underwater dining experience – complete with a red carpet entrance, live musical performance, and a three-course menu. Dine inside or around the aquarium's spectacular underwater tunnel and watch the marine life drift away while enjoying your meal. The experience includes a self-guided tour and a photo souvenir to mark the occasion. You can also surprise your significant other with a personalised greeting. Limited slots are available. Monday, February 14; 8pm-midnight; tables outside the tunnel Dh1,300 per person, tables inside the tunnel Dh1,500 per person; Al Qana; www.thenationalaquarium.ae On Monday, February 14, the three restaurants brands by Buddha-Bar – Siddharta Lounge, Bushra and Zeera – will all host a Valentine’s Day dinner for Dh375 per person with a welcome drink and a bottle for two, or Dh325 for soft drinks. Guests can head to Siddharta Lounge for Mediterranean classics, Bushra for Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, or Zeera for gourmet Indian fare. There will also be live performers, a resident DJ and waterfront views. Monday, February 14; from Dh650 per couple; Yas Bay; www.thetrilogybybuddhabar.com ; 050 60 111 94

Valentine’s Day 2022 in Abu Dhabi: the best dining deals on offer

From brunches to underwater dinners, here's how you can sweep your partner off their feet this V-day